First Meeting
by bigprisc1
Summary: Shane and Carmen plays a little game.


"Remind me why we are out here in the cold and not inside again?"

Alice and Shane stood outside of the Planet. The L.A breeze hitting them hard and chilling them to the bones. Everyone going in and out of the club stared at them like they were a couple of losers, and Alice was not happy about it.

"Because, Carmen is in there." Shane said slowly, as if that made all the sense in the world.

"Yes, I know Shane, your girlfriend, whom you love and will die for is in there. And so is my girlfriend whom I love to death. And practically anyone who has a higher IQ level than 1." Alice rattled on. "Why are we standing here?"

"Cause Carmen wants to play a game."

"What game?" Alice started jumping up and down in a frail attempt to warm up a little.

"You'll see…" Shane grinned mysteriously. The impatient and inquisitive reporter didn't like the answer one bit. It wasn't in her nature to let something so secretive go by without trying. And so here she was asking for the 20th time since Shane dragged her away from Dana in the afternoon.

"Shane! If you are not going to tell me… I am going inside now!"

"Hey… Look Al, I really appreciate that you are staying here with me… Just give me a couple of minutes. Then we can go inside." Shane grabbed hold of Alice's arm and looked pleadingly at her best friend. Alice sighed, how could she say no to that puppy dog look Shane had perfected so well. Many a times Alice tried to do that thing Shane did, but she never quite achieved that effect, Dana would attest to that.

"Okay fine." Alice crossed her arms firmly as she continued hopping from one leg to the other.

Shane grinned appreciative and went back to staring at her watch, watching the seconds tick by impatiently. Tick tick tick… When finally the minute hand reached 12 and it was 11:00pm in the night. She grabbed Alice roughly and rushed into the club.

Shane greeted the door bitch with the famous 'Shane smirk', and when she took off her thick windbreaker, a tight fit tank top under a velvet blazer was revealed. She was the infamous Shane and just about everyone wanted to say hello to the legend in the circles. Shane stride into the club and headed straight to the bar, not once had she darted her eyes around to look for her girlfriend or her group of friends.

Word was already a-blazing that Shane was seemingly available tonight. There was no girlfriend in toll and she was standing at the bar only with a good friend.

"Hey, Shane… they are over there." Alice waved at her Dana as she found the group amidst the crowded place.

"Alice, could we just stay here for awhile. Please?" Shane grinned as she shook her head thankfully at a girl who asked for a dance.

"Okay. This is making me die of curiosity." Alice sighed.

"What are they doing?" Dana looked baffled. She was certain Alice saw her, but her girlfriend made no attempt to come over and join the group. Shane dragged Alice out in the afternoon in a hurry, and now the two of them were standing over at the other side of the club.

"Did you have a fight with Shane?" Dana threw the question right at Carmen, who was sipping her bourbon lime with a secretive grin. Didn't look like a fight, Carmen was smiling, and when Dana turned back to look at Shane, Shane was smiling too.

"They're playing a game, Dane." Jenny offered as she picked her glass up and took a sip.

"A game? Wha…?" Dana still didn't understand. "Well, whatever game it is, I don't really like it, 'cause my girlfriend is all the way over there." Dana trained her eyes back at Alice, and her tone shifted a little, sounding a touch more annoyed, "Fending herself off all those desperate girls."

Carmen turned towards the pair at the bar for the first time, a little nagging fear about Shane running off with someone caused her to check on her girlfriend. What she saw, she liked. Shane mouthed 'No, thank you' to yet another girl who asked for a dance, and when she looked up, she locked gaze with Carmen, that 'Shane smirk' of a grin staying in place. That, and that gorgeous get-up Shane was in. Carmen batted her eyelids once, slowly and seductively, but turned away to pay attention to the conversation at the table when Shane gave her a little hint of a wink.

Alice stared at Shane looking sensually at Carmen, and as she panned her eyes over, she realized that Carmen was doing the same. Aghast, Alice couldn't contain it any longer.

"Shane. You make me stay all the way at this end with you, away from my girlfriend, when you are making eyes at YOUR girlfriend." Alice raised both her hands up. "I'm going if you are not going to say what's going on." And she turned to leave.

"Okay okay… Carmen suggested that we pretend we don't know each other and start over." Shane explained slowly. Pulling her gaze away from her girlfriend to find her drink on the counter.

"Thaaaaat's your game?"

"Yeah…"

"What the fuck…"

"Ya'know we didn't meet at a bar right, didn't do all that first meeting stuff…" Shane shrugged, she decided to offer more information to Alice, since she was being such a good friend, "So she suggested we did this, and I agreed."

"Okay… And I assume that since I am your best friend, I am being punished along with you."

"Right… Please, stay here with me?"

"Is that why she is not DJing today?"

"She had the night off."

"Ah. Right. Fine. Now I understand why you dragged me all around town shopping." The reporter rolled her eyes as she set them back at Dana, deciding to enjoy the view since she had to stay where she was.

"Thank you." Shane said sincerely as she waved a familiar waitress over. "Hey Janet, how'sit going."

"Busy," Janet said while taking the chance to regain her breath. "What can I get you?"

"Listen, could you help me send a bourbon lime over to Carmen sitting over there?" Shane stuffed a ten into the waitress' pocket. "Put it on my tab please."

"Sure, will do that. You had a fight?" Janet asked, as baffled as Alice had been a feel moments ago.

"They are playing an annoying game." Alice said, more amused then annoyed really.

"Yeah yeah… Just say it is from the lady over at the bar okay?"

Janet just stared at the both of them, and with a 'Alright, I don't really wanna know' look, went to get the drink for Carmen.

"Hey Carm, Shane is chatting the waitress up." Dana said quickly as she looked over at the bar. In her attempt to warn Carmen, she started patting Jenny's lap, a little too hard as Jenny yelp in protest.

Carmen looked over at Shane again, and when she saw Shane chatting Janet up, she got a little annoyed, 'Maybe this game isn't that bright of an idea after all.'

"That's Janet, I'm sure she is just getting a drink." Carmen said, more of a reassurance to herself then a statement to her friends.

"Hey you guys… What's Al and Shane doing over at the bar?" Bette scooted her seat closer. When Jenny explained they were playing a game, Bette got interested and motion Tina to join in. They started speculating about the game, because even Jenny didn't know the full details.

"Excuse me, Carmen?" Janet came up to their table and placed another bourbon lime onto the table. "This Bourbon Lime is from the lady at the bar." The tone of voice used was a sing-song obviously pretentious kind.

Tee-hee. Carmen let out a chuckle and thank Janet. And as Janet walked away, Carmen took the glass and raised it at Shane, who was staring at her the whole time. Shane raised her glass as well and turned her attention back to the bodies grinding at the dance floor.

"Well, that was weird." Bette said.

"You're right though, Janet was getting a drink." Dana laughed.

Carmen looked pleased with herself. Her little game was going well after all. But since Shane already made that first move, what could she do to counter that?

A brilliant idea struck. And immediately Carmen started fishing around for a pen.

"What are you looking for?" Jenny turned from her conversation with Bette and Tina and found Carmen scrounging through her bag.

"A pen, anyone has pen and paper?" Carmen asked round the table.

Bette joined them directly from work and had her notebook and pen in her purse. So she offered it to Carmen. The Latina happily took it from Bette and tore a page out of the notebook.

 _Dear Stranger,_

 _Thank you for the drink._

 _Can I get you anything?_

 _Girl in white at the table._

"Dear stranger?" Dana asked baffled as she read the note. "Dear stranger? That's like Shane over there, and you write dear stranger?"

Giggles and chuckles around the table. "Ah… I think I get the game now." Bette grinned knowingly.

Carmen just smiled secretively as she tried to look for Janet in the crowd. When she finally got hold of her attention and waved her over. Carmen folded the note neatly and deposited it into Janet's hand.

"Could you please be a doll and send this note over to the lady that got me a drink."

Janet was amused, annoyed at the extra service, but amused at the same time. This was like the hottest couple in the Planet, and they are playing this cute game.

"Sure, I'll get it to her."

"Thanks Jan, I owe you."

Janet just grinned as she walked off over to Shane.

"Here, a note from the lady at that table." Janet handed Shane the little note, she was curious to see what's on the note, but someone had called her attention and she had to run off.

"What'sit say?" Alice craned her head over Shane's shoulder and read the note. After she finished reading, Shane folded the note back neatly and placed it into her blazer pocket. Shane took a piece of scrap paper from the bar and borrowed a pen from the bartender, proceeding to reply the note from 'the girl in white at the table.'

 _Hi Girl in White,_

 _I am Shane, I would really like to take you home tonight and sex…_

"No no! You can't write that!" Alice screamed, "You are starting slow remember, first meeting or something, at least ask her for a dance first."

"Ah right," Shane nodded in agreement. She had never done this before and so she should trust her friend with more dating experience, so she started again with another piece of paper.

 _Hi Girl in White,_

 _I am Shane, I would like to get to know you better because I think you are really hot._

 _Would you like to dance with me?_

 _Velvet Blazer girl at the bar._

"That's so cute!" Jenny exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. "You're not going to give in that easily right?" Everyone at the table exclaimed in agreement. Carmen pondered for a moment before deciding on her next note.

 _Hi Shane,_

 _I think you are really gorgeous too. My name is Carmen._

 _I would love to dance with you, but they are not playing my song._

 _Sorry._

 _Girl In White._

When she showed the note around the table, everyone agreed it was pretty clever. Shane shouldn't get it too easy. That's what Carmen thought too. 'First time she got it easy, this time.' She smirked.

Carmen stole a glance at Shane as she read the note. A shadow casted over Shane's face as she pressed her lips together in a frown. She started to discuss something with Alice and Alice nodded. After her little talk with Alice she looked up at Carmen and caught her staring. Carmen turned quickly away, like a little kid caught in a candy shop, but from the corner of her eye, she could see Shane staring at the back of her head.

She blocked out the uneasiness of the stare while listening to the conversation around the table, and pretty soon, she forgot all about that burn on her back. Either that, or Shane wasn't looking anymore. Whichever it was, it allowed Carmen to fully immense herself into the story Bette was telling about a painting.

It wasn't too long after when she felt someone tapping her shoulder.

"Hi, I'm here to claim my dance. Carmen." Shane rolled the name on her tongue, as if she couldn't get enough of saying it.

"Hi, Shane." Carmen lower her voice teasingly, "They are not playing my song."

"They will soon." Shane smirked.

"You don't know what my song is," Carmen wasn't kidding, she seriously didn't think Shane knew what her song was.

"No?" Shane shrugged nonchalantly, "But you are still going to dance with me." With that, Shane held out her hand in invitation.

Carmen looked at the hand and she turned to glance at all of her friends, including Alice who had settled down on Dana's lap finally and they all clapped their approval.

With a little chuckle and a little shake of her head, Carmen took Shane's hand and got out of her seat.

Shane guided Carmen to the middle of the dance floor and as they fitted themselves together, the song changed from a fast dance number to a slow song.

It was Hall and Oates _So Close_ , Carmen's song. And when she heard it, she gasped.

"Shane! My song… How did you know."

Shane just shrugged as she linked her arms around Carmen's waist and pulled her closer. Carmen couldn't hide the surprised look on her face, not even when she cupped Shane's face with her hands, not even when she pulled Shane in for a kiss. A soft kiss, a chaste kiss. Shane suckled softly on Carmen's lower lip, but made no attempt to take it any further.

When Carmen tried to deepen the kiss, Shane pulled away.

"Hey Stranger, we just met." Shane smirked.

"Well, I have a feeling we might just get to know each other better." Carmen grinned as she ran her fingers on Shane's lips. "But maybe we should do a first date before we jump straight to bed."

With a low groan, Shane tighten her grip on Carmen, "Don't do that to me Carm, I only agreed to the game tonight. In the club."

Carmen didn t answer, she just pressed her lips back onto Shane again. "Fuck the game. I can't keep my hands off you."

* * *

"I was the one who begged for the change of song, ya'know." Alice stated proudly.

"…" Dana cooed and rewarded Alice with a kiss, really glad that she could finally make out with her girlfriend.

"How did you know Carmen's song?" Tina asked.

"I didn't, Shane did. She just asked me to do her the favor of changing it."

"I didn't think Shane know though." Jenny said thoughtfully as she twirled her hair on her fingers.

"Well, I think it is just one of those things that makes Shane so charming and attractive." Bette stated with finality. All of them trained their eyes at the pair on the dance floor, molded together, swaying slowly to the soulful vocals of the song.

The night turned out great. Except for all those hopeful girls waiting to fill the shoes of this one beautiful Latina, and they probably need to wait forever, when Shane hugged Carmen as close as she could to her.


End file.
